Words cannot express how truly important this book is in modern society. Especially now. With the controversial election of Donald Trump as the new United States President, racial issues are running high and riots are springing out across the nation as people turn against one another. Not to mention the high rates of police brutality clearly evident within the past year. The Baltimore riots in 2015 highlight these issues evident in society. And it was time that someone broke away from the classic mold of books and tackled these issues as Angie Thomas so masterfully did.

The Hate U Give follows a teenage girl, Starr, who is the only witness of the murder of her childhood best friend by the hands of a white police officer. We then follow Starr through her struggle to grieve the untimely death of her good friend while she becomes a braver person and stands up for what is right.

This book was simply astounding. I am currently writing this review at 2:08 a.m. after just completing the book. And I will say, the ending had my eyes watering.

Thomas managed to portray significant character development throughout the novel as readers witness Starr's transformation from a girl scared to speak out about her friend's death into a full-blown activist. Not only that, but Thomas doesn't shy away from Starr's imperfections. We see Starr struggle to not see along the lines of color as her boyfriend and some of her good friends are white. In addition, we see Starr come to terms with her own false assumptions that she held against Khalil as well. Watching Starr discover who she is and what she believes slowly and realistically was not only amazing but extremely powerful as well. In addition, Thomas made sure to point out that prejudice and racism can appear in many different forms, some more subtle than others (ehm, Hailey, ehm) but that no form should be tolerated. Although I have never experienced the same kind of prejudice that minorities deal with on a daily basis, I felt what Starr was feeling throughout this whole book. And that is what makes this book so important. People who don't understand need to look through the eyes of Starr in order to see what is really going on in society today.

Although this book was very long, 444 pages, every single moment was essential. I was never bored, never looking to see when the end of the chapter was coming, which goes to show the masterful writing skill that Thomas possesses. Thomas takes us through every aspect of Starr's life, giving a fair amount of time to her family life, her school life, her love life, her relationships with her friends, and what is going on in Starr's mind. And for once, I'm not left feeling that there should've been something a little more. Everything was well-rounded, which helped me engross myself into Starr's life all the better.

Although I am well aware of what is going on in the world, all the injustice that occurs on a daily basis and the prejudice which fills the minds of so many, this book helped me gain a deeper understanding. And for that, I want to thank Thomas from the bottom of my heart. Thank you for telling this story, because I really really believe that it could make a difference. It's going to change the way people see things, the way people think. And honestly, with the way society is currently deteriorating, we need a change.

This book isn't only about the prejudice and discrimination clearly evident in our society. It's about a strong family dynamic, and struggling to choose what's right over what's less brave or more convenient. It's about finding who your true friends are and being able to say goodbye to those who aren't always there to support you. It's about rising above and doing what's right. And all of these themes is what makes this book so special. Somehow, Thomas managed to teach me so many lessons within a span of 444 pages.

Read this book. Then recommend it to your friends, your family, shout it from the rooftops. Because this book needs to be read. People need to hear Starr's voice.

"And to every kid in Georgetown and in all 'the Gardens' of the world: your voices matter, your dreams matter, your lives matter. Be roses that grow in the concrete." - Angie Thomas

The end of yet another month of 2017(: Is it just me or is this year passing like the speed of light? Life really needs to slow down in my opinion. This month I managed to claw my way out of my February book slump and it feels great(: Also, another exciting bookish thing that occurred this month is the beginning of my bookstagram book club that I managed to form with a few lovely people. We are open to new people so if you're up for reading pretty much anything and have an instagram account, feel free to let me know that you want to join and you're in! Without a further ado here is my March 2017 Wrap- Up.

The first book I finished this month was Missing Microbes: How the Overuse of Antibiotics is Fueling Our Modern Plagues by Martin J. Blaser Star Rating: 3/5 StarsReason for rating: I gave this book only 3/5 stars because although I found the information within the novel very interesting and eye-opening, Blaser could be very repetitive and by the end of the book that got a bit old. But, Blaser included some very interesting metaphors and stories from his life and from others which kept me engaged. Plus, through this book I might've discovered my calling in life(: Check out the blog on antibiotic resistance I wrote for my AP Language class here. Who I would recommend this to: I would recommend this book to anyone who has an interest in current issues and/or biological sciences.

The next book I completed in March was Holding Up the Universe by Jennifer Niven Star Rating: 3.75/5 Stars Reason for rating: Niven managed to include a book with very unique characters that had amazing character development. However, I felt that the relationship development was somewhat lacking and that there could have been a little something more to this book that could've helped it receive a higher rating. If you want to read my full non-spoiler review click here. ​Who I would recommend this to: I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys reading the YA/ contemporary genre who enjoys reading about character growth as they overcome humongous obstacles. This would be a perfect book for a somewhat light and quick read.

The next book I read in March was The Glass Sword by Victoria Aveyard Star Rating: 3.75/5 Stars Reason for Rating: Going into this book was an interesting experience as it is the second book in the Red Queen trilogy and I honestly did not remember anything from the first book (which I read two years ago) except for the last scene. So, after reading a quick summary of the first book on Wikepedia and struggling through the first fifty pages, I was finally able to immerse myself in the book. This book's plot line was very exciting, especially since it's been a while since I last read a fantasy book. Although there were many unique characters and exciting twists, I found this book a little lacking. Mare, the main character, began to annoy me with how emotionless she has become and how she seemed to mope constantly. The same types of scenarios continued to occur and it got very repetitive and perturbing to me. I already purchased the third book, The King's Cage, so hopefully it's better! Who I would recommend this to: Readers who love YA and fantasy, who are looking for an exciting plot line to immerse themselves into!

Another book I read this month was The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas (the bookstagram book club's first read!) Star Rating: 5/5 StarsReason for Rating: This book was simply amazing. Within less than 500 pages Thomas was able to make me feel so engrossed into Starr's life. I knew who her friends were, what the drama was, her strong family dynamic, her love life, and her internal battles within herself to do what's right instead of what's easy. Thomas effectively makes the reader as if they are Starr which allows her to convey her message on police brutality and discrimination so well. Check out my full non-spoiler review by clicking here.Who I would recommend this to: I want as many people as possible to read this so I would recommend it to everyone. This book is extremely important. However, if you are a parent wondering if this book is appropriate for your child, make sure that your child is old enough to be able to understand what is going on as they will most definitely have questions about discrimination. In addition, there is some profanity in this novel and very little sexual moments.

And finally, the book I've been reading most recently is The King's Cage by Victoria Aveyard. I was meant to finish it this week but I have been really busy and not feeling well (I have strep throat, a sinus infection, and a 104 degree fever currently). This is the third book in the Red Queen series. I thought this was the last book in the series but turns out there is another after this book. I just hope that doesn't mean the book is going to be too drawn out but we shall see. I'm currently on page 403 out of 528(: So far, I'm enjoying this a lot more than the second book in the series.

Disclaimer: This blog post will be very different from my typical posts, I just experienced something today that made me want to burst from how wasteful people within my society are. In addition, I am not saying in any way that I have not been wasteful in my life. I have and I know I have. But, it needs to stop. And I need to say something.

For the past few years I have been paying more and more attention to the people around me and have managed to notice things that make my skin crawl. In particular, the extreme wastefulness that occurs around me on a daily basis. I am one of five kids in my family, so my parents buy a lot of food to prepare our meals. But, they buy in such surplus that it is impossible for us to consume all of it. Massive amounts of meat, vegetables, and starches go straight to the trash can. So, why do we continue to buy in bulk? Why don't we remember the instances in which we purchased three racks of ribs and only consumed two? Why do we make two trays of oven-prepared french fries when we can only consume one? The standards for the food quantity we purchase can be severely altered. We could halve the portions of food we purchase and still have enough for us to have a modest portion. Further, if we do have leftovers it is completely possible for us to save most of it as leftovers and allocate the next few dinners to leftovers. It honestly tears me up to see so much go to waste. Every time I help clean up after dinner and my parents ask me to scrap the remaining food into the trashcans guilt surges through my veins.

You might be wondering what event set me on this tangent today. What prompted me, after years of living in a household with too much food, to write this post today? Well, one of my best friends continues to exhibit the most severe case of wastefulness I have ever had the displeasure to witness. It is tradition at my high school to bring baked goods for your friend's birthday so that they can carry it around all day and everyone will know that they are celebrating another year of life. Naturally, for my friend's birthday my friends and I brought her boxes of doughnuts, trays of cookies, and containers filled with chewy brownies. Today, in our third period class, she told me that she went home that day, grabbed a trash bag, and threw all of her baked goods into the trash. Having only consumed the few desserts she could during the seven hour school day, she took all that remained and just threw it away without a second thought. I couldn't control the disgust and anger that made my blood boil the moment she disclosed that information to me.

"That's so wasteful! Why would you ask us all to bring you stuff for your birthday if you're just going to turn around and throw it away? We spent money on that and you just wasted it."

This was my automatic response. To which she quickly called me annoying and told me to shut up. Which I certainly did not deserve but my anger with her as a person is not the point of this post. The point is that people who surround me in my life clearly show little regard for the consequences of their actions. The point is that all of those baked goods could have been given to somebody who would actually eat them, as they were intended to be, rather than tossed away like it's trash.

I know, from experience, that there are hungry people surrounding all of us. Every time I visit my grandparents in North Carolina I help my Grandpa on his food truck. We start out early in the morning, while the rest of my family slumbers soundly in their beds, and set out to many different grocery stores in the area. We then enter through the backdoor and collect the shopping carts worth of food that they allocated for our food truck. Hundreds of baguettes, cakes, slabs of meat, carrot sticks, and so on are then sorted, weighed, and heaved into the back of the refrigerated truck. After a long day of bouncing between grocery stores, we head to the food bank where the workers, smiles wide and eyes bright, happily accept all that we collected for them.

So, yes, I know that the food my best friend tossed away like yesterday's trash had extreme value. Which is why I am so unbelievably irked.

Society needs to realize how everything we take for granted could be extremely valuable in other areas and to people with a different lifestyle. I urge you to look around and notice the same instances of wastefulness that will be present in your life as well. And I hope you can find a way to initiate change so that more people can be aided and less will go to waste.

Ever since I started working with my Grandpa on his food truck, an idea has lingered in the back of my mind about the prospect of raising enough money to start something similar in my area. But, I always deemed it to be too far out of reach. Now, my mind is changed. I need to do something because otherwise the guilt of remaining a bystander to wastefulness will begin to tear me up from the inside out.

Please, if you have any ideas on how to reduce the waste that occurs on a daily basis in modern day society reach out to me. Or, if you just want to discuss I am completely open to your opinions or ideas.

I hope you didn't mind the different type of post here. I just really needed an outlet to express myself. I hope I managed to open your minds to something that you might not have noticed before.

So, I'm on a mission. I need to read more. The excuses of schoolwork and Netflix drawing me have been invalidated. The problem I am currently facing is a GARGANTUAN TBR pile of books. And by gargantuan I mean that I probably have over 150 books on my TBR shelves. THIS IS NOT OKAY. So, it's time to get ambitious ladies and gentlemen. I have decided that I want to start finishing off the series I have already started before I start moving on to new ones. So, you'll see that as a common trend in the TBR list for the remaining weeks in March and the full month of April.

Stand Off by Andrew Smith (Sequel to Winger)I am SO excited to read this. I received it as a Christmas present a few months ago and it's time I finally get around to it. I read Winger a couple of years and go and it absolutely destroyed me. Probably more than any other book has before (if you've read it, you know why), I read the gut-wrenching part of Winger while I was on a bus ride to New York City and let's just say my fellow bus riders were more than slightly concerned. Plus, Smith made me discover my favorite quote of all time: "Crede Quod Habes, et Habes," which means believe that you have it, and you do. Andrew Smith's writing style is so different from the elaborate metaphorical and imagery-packed style I'm used to, so I'm excited for a refreshing read. AND HOPEFULLY THIS ONE DOESN'T EMOTIONALLY SLAUGHTER ME LIKE THE LAST ONE.

The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky I started reading this book when I was in seventh grade, then I lost the copy I was reading and never finished it. Since I love the movie so much and I hear great things about the book, I think its time for me to pluck it off my TBR shelves for a well-deserved read.

The Assassin's Blade and Empire of Storms by Sarah J. Maas (Prequel and fifth installment of the Throne of Glass series) I think this one is pretty self-explanatory since I've expressed my love for Sarah J. Maas and her books pretty thoroughly on this blog. ​

Vicious by V.E. Schwab I AM STILL READING THIS!!! I need to finish it soon otherwise it's going to turn into a DNF and it really really doesn't deserve that. The characters are very interesting, the plot is dark, twisted, and mysterious. I just don't know what's up with me and not finishing this book but I'm not allowing it to continue for any longer.

Stars Above by Marissa Meyer I finished the Lunar Chronicles within the past six months (loved it!!!) and I think it would be wise of me to read this collection of novellas before I forget aspects of the plot and the characters that I love so much. Plus I'm really missing Thorne and Cress <3 So yeah, NEED to read this soon.

The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins This pick is mostly because I really really want to watch the movie but I have a rule about reading the book before watching the movie (: But, I've also heard amazing things about the book so it's happening everyone. It's happening.

The Hate U Give by Angie ThomasSo, I recently started a book club with a few friends that I met through my book instagram, and this is our first book that we chose!!! Exciting! I honestly don't know a lot about except for the fact that I've seen it EVERYWHERE and it's supposed to be great. So, yeah, I'm excited (:

The Glass Sword by Victoria AveyardI read the first book in this series, The Red Queen, a few years ago and I'm going to be honest. I don't remember any of it besides the closing scene. So after extensive research on the plot of the first book to try and gain a grasp on what's going on, it's time for me to start the second. Plus, everyone is talking about how fantastic the third one is. Also, this is a book I'm reading now(:

Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy I'm still trucking my way through this one, slowly but surely. I'm not putting too much pressure on myself to dedicate myself solely to finish this book because I want to savor it and, if I'm being honest, I don't want it to slump me.

Now that I just wrote that post I'm realizing how unbelievably ambitious this list is. But, it needs to be done. And, to be honest it's pretty exciting(::: So, let the reading begin!

Holding Up the Universe by Jennifer Niven follows two teenagers, each possessing characteristics that make them unique from the rest of the student body. Libby Strout was once deemed the "largest teen in America," reaching over 600 pounds at her heaviest. While Jack Masselin possesses a rare cognitive disorder leaving him unable to recognize faces. Naturally, this book follows both of their struggles to discover their identities and try to break free from the evils within society that continue to hold them back.

Libby was my favorite character by far as although she has been through so many horrible experiences including her mother's death and being trapped inside of her house for years, she only let these experiences make her stronger. Libby was extremely surprising to me. I find that in these types of books, the main female protagonist is more timid than not, however Libby was quite the opposite. She was brave, bold, and unafraid to show her true colors (which, turns out to be royal purple). Honestly, I found her reactions to harassment inspiring. She made me realize that people don't have to be held back by their own insecurities. And that maybe, I can apply that to myself as well.

Jack, on the other hand, was less impressive to me (at least, compared to the bold and original Libby). Throughout the whole book, he struggled immensely to discover who he was and to break free from the norms he had established throughout his life as a defense mechanism from judgment due to his disorder. He was like Katy Perry's song Hot and Cold, you could never tell what Jack you were going to experience with every chapter, the sweet and romantic Jack or the cold and moody Jack? Although, I will say that I did sympathize with him immensely. And, his relationship with his little brother was absolutely heartwarming.

Although this book was good, I found that something was lacking. I can't quite put my finger on it, but I needed something a little more. The writing was alright but I felt that Niven might have been trying a little too hard with the metaphors. In addition, the relationship seemed to happen to seamlessly as they all of a sudden started hanging out and disclosing deeply personal information to each other. I guess I didn't really see the fireworks and rainbows that their relationship supposedly had.

Hi everyone(: Since I woke up this morning to the very first (and likely last) snow day of the year, I decided that this would be the perfect post to write for you. As book lovers, there is always a special place in our hearts for snow days as we remain snowed into our homes without needing to go to school or work. Unfortunately, I experienced many of the impulses of a bibliophile on this glorious "free" day, but I can't quite act on them to the degree I would've wished since I have an essay to write /: Anyway, without any further delay, here are eight habits every bibliophile indulges on a snow day.

1. Making a beautiful breakfast (omelet, oatmeal with fruit, pancakes, etc) to use it as a prop for taking photos of your books, and/or to make reading that much more enjoyable with a decadent meal by your side. (And yes, I did do this today)

2. Drink cup after cup of tea or coffee (I, personally, am on my third cup of earl grey).

3. Take pictures of your book against the beautiful, clean, and white background of snow.

CAN SPRING PLEASE COME SOONER I'M SICK OF COWERING AWAY FROM THE OUTDOORS!!!!Anyway, here is a quick post updating you on the books I'm currently reading(: I hope you all are having a lovely weekend full of amazing reads and large cups of tea. ​

Anna Karenina by Leo TolstoyCurrent Page: 157/964So far this book is pretty intriguing to me. I've never read a Russian literature book yet and reading about the time period (mid to late 1800s) is SO INTERESTING. If you know me personally, you are probably aware that I find Russian and Japanese history immensely enthralling ever since the beginning of my AP World History class. Learning more about the way society worked in this time period following the emancipation of slaves in 1861 and the creation of more liberal reforms is so much fun. Also, the writing continues to impress me with some of the metaphors Tolstoy crafts and beautiful imagery he depicts. In addition, the numerous complex relationships and characters always keep things fresh. I just wish there was a tiny bit more of editing done because I want to focus less on farming techniques and more on the plot (but that's just me).

Vicious by V.E. SchwabCurrent Page: 173/364Okay, so I don't know what's going on here. This book is very intriguing with a brilliant plot and dark characters. But, for some reason, it's taking me forever to get through it? Maybe it's because I started it at the end of January and the whole of February was a slump for me? I don't know but I'm inching through it slowly but surely. I've heard so many wonderful things about it so HOPEFULLY it won't turn into a DNF.

I'm hoping to finish these soon but Anna Katerina is an AMBITIOUS read, so honestly who knows how long it will take for me to get through these two. Hopefully soon though because I think I'll be picking up The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins next!!!